England put in a strong performance to beat Sweden in their quarter-final on Saturday afternoon, while Croatia needed penalties to knock out Russia following an exciting 2-2 draw.The Three Lions are 13/10 favourites to progress to the final, but Croatia have looked dangerous at this tournament, which you may remember has been full of surprise results.

Here’s everything England need to look out for on Wednesday evening – weaknesses they may be able to exploit, and key players who could cause them some damage.

How have Croatia played so far?

Coming out of the groups Croatia looked one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament. They won all three games in what was arguably the World Cup’s ‘group of death’, most impressively hammering Argentina 3-0 in one of the stand-out games so far.

Since then they have stuttered a little, needing penalties to get past both Denmark in the round-of-16 and Russia in the quarter-finals.

Not only does this mean players might be a little tired, it also shows Croatia can struggle when faced with a well-drilled defence. Russia limited them to just three shots on target in 120 minutes.

Their last-ditch 2-1 win over Iceland in their final group game was hard fought and showed character, while the wins over Nigeria and Argentina were controlled and confident. Once considered a dark horse, Croatia are now very real contenders to go all the way.

What’s their tactical approach?

Manager Zlatko Dalić likes to play a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Luka Modrić and Ivan Rakitić running the show in the centre of midfield.

They like to control possession – they had 65 per cent of the ball against Russia – but can play on the counter too, as they showed against Argentina. That was the only one of their five games in which they did not have the lion’s share of possession, but they tore Messi and co. apart.

In Mario Mandžukić they have a proper target man, and England should expect to handle balls played into him from wide areas, both from the full backs pressing forwards and by Perisić and Rebić on the wings.

The make-up of their side will depend on whether they opt for Marcelo Brozović or Andrej Kramarić to play alongside the main duo in midfield. Brozović makes them more robust, while Kramarić is a real goal threat – he got his side’s first against Russia.

Who are the players to watch out for?

Ivan Perisic could cause problems for England out wide (Photo: Getty)

Modrić and Rakitić are the big threats in midfield – they may well be the best midfield pairing in international football right now.

You can certainly argue Modrić is the best midfielder in the world. Once vastly underrated, people are finally appreciative of just how important he is to Real Madrid. He is the sort of player who can make a whole team tick, and also knows how to come up with individual pearlers. You could see him as a better Paul Scholes.

Rakitić, meanwhile, is more of a grafter and the perfect compliment to the little Madrid man – they may play for bitter rivals at club level, but that doesn’t seem to have hurt their relationship in the red and white checks.

Outside of these two, Mandžukić is obviously a goal threat, though not the player he once was. Ivan Perisić will give Kieran Trippier work to do defensively, while overall they have been solid at the back with Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren a mainstay at centre-back.

What are their weaknesses?

Here’s the good news – Croatia’s biggest weakness so far has probably been from set-pieces, which have also been England’s strength.

Russia’s late equaliser came from a free-kick from when Mário Fernandes found himself unmarked to head past Subašić, while Denmark’s early strike against them came from a long throw.

If Trippier and Ashley Young can whip in the sort of balls they did in the group stages, England could find some real joy here. It could be their key to reaching the final.

From Croatia fans’ perspective, another weakness – defensively – is their left side. This again means Trippier could be key, while Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard will also hope to exploit.

How good are England’s chances?

The set-piece problem should be a source of real optimism for England’s players and fans alike. Gareth Southgate will know the opportunity this weakness will bring, and will make sure his side are drilled to make the most of it.

Not counting the bizarre “B-team” game against Belgium, this Croatia side are still the strongest team England have faced so far, though – and it’s not really close. They have more class than either Sweden or Colombia and the midfield battle will be key – Jordan Henderson and Dele Alli are going to have to be on top form to keep Modrić and Rakitić quiet.

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